Photo/Illutration A scene from “The Summit of the Gods” ((c) Le Sommet des Dieux-2021/ Julianne Films/ Folivari/ Melusine Productions/ France 3 Cinema/ Aura Cinema)

“The Summit of the Gods,” a manga masterpiece by Jiro Taniguchi, has made a triumphant return to Japan in the form of an animated feature film produced by a French team.

The anime was a big hit in France, proving the popularity of the manga artist in the country. It premiered in Japan on July 8.

Producer Jean-Charles Ostorero said Taniguchi was delighted by the animation project and looked through the screenplay, raw sketches and other materials before he died in 2017 at age 69.

Taniguchi created the manga based on a novel by Baku Yumemakura.

The mountaineering adventure story centers around a magazine photographer named Fukamachi.

He encounters Habu, a long-lost mountain climber, on a crowded street in Katmandu.

Fukamachi learns that Habu, who possesses an old camera that could rewrite the history of who climbed Mount Everest first, is planning to climb the southwestern wall of the world’s highest summit alone without oxygen in the winter, risking his life.

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Producer Jean-Charles Ostorero (Provided by Longride Inc.)

The long-spanning manga is condensed into a 94-minute story that focuses on how Habu’s passion for mountains gets passed down to Fukamachi. The film also has a different ending from the original work.

Ostorero, who was fascinated by the manga, said it is a story about a bystander being awakened to his purpose. Fukamachi gains experience and is emotionally moved as he follows Habu.

He said Taniguchi was full of respect for the artists and had complete trust in the production team and that he would have been happy about the completion of the film had he not been satisfied with it.

Still, the producer added they wanted Taniguchi to see the animated adaptation because they are confident it turned out well.

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